Monday, June 22, 2009

What to Do with Wild Greens and All that Fruit!!

Well, eaters, I am sorry there is no newsletter this week. My computer is in the shop. I hope to get it back tomorrow. In the meantime, I am using an old one belonging to my son but I don't have all your email addresses. I hope the recipes I post here will serve as a replacement.

Boil the amaranth leaves and tender stalks in just enough water (about a cup of water) for 10-12 mts, such that the water is almost absorbed.

Heat oil, add the mustard seeds and once they splutter, add the cumin seeds, garlic flakes, red chillis, curry leaves and green chillis and saute for half a minute.Add the onions and saute till transparent. Add salt and turmeric pwd and saute further for a minute.

The stone fruits we get each week during the summer are full of antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals. Eating them out of hand is easy and delicious. But when we get as many as we did this week, recipes help a lot. You can use any stone fruit in this recipe but the apricots and almond flavor are wonderful.

Combine apricots and almond liqueur (or orange juice) in a large bowl. Grate 2 teaspoons zest from the lemon and set aside. Juice the lemon and stir 2 teaspoons of the juice into the apricots. Let stand for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-inch round baking dish or oval casserole with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over the bottom. Drain the apricots (reserving the syrup) and arrange in the baking dish.

Combine whole eggs, egg white and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale yellow. Add milk, flour, almond extract, salt, the reserved lemon zest and the reserved syrup; beat well to blend. Pour the batter over the apricots; sprinkle with almonds.

To roast plums: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place plums and 2 rosemary sprigs in an 8-inch-square baking dish. Whisk water, vinegar, 4 tablespoons sugar and peppercorns in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add the seeds and bean to the vinegar mixture. Pour the mixture over the plums. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Roast the plums, uncovered, until tender and beginning to break down, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard the rosemary and the vanilla bean. Transfer the plums to a serving platter and cover with foil. Strain the roasting liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the sauce over the plums; keep warm.

To prepare pork: Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with pepper and salt. Add to the skillet and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes.

Transfer the pan to the oven; bake at 400° until an instant-read thermometer registers 155° and the pork has just a hint of pink in the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. (The internal temperature will increase to 160° during resting.) Cut the pork into thin slices and serve with the roasted plums. -- another healthy recipe from EatingWell